Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Turkish MPs Plan Headscarf Reform

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Photo courtesy of the BBC

BBC: Two major parties in Turkey say they will submit a joint plan to parliament to ease a ban on the Islamic headscarf in universities.

The Islamist-rooted governing AK Party and the nationalist MHP say it is an issue of human rights and freedoms.

The two parties have enough votes in parliament to overturn the constitutional ban on headscarves.

A strict headscarf ban has been in force in universities since 1997. It was ordered by the secularist military.

The issue is highly controversial in a mainly Muslim country whose secular elite - including the military - sees the headscarf as a symbol of political Islam, the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul says.

The move to ease the ban has been criticised by judges and university officials.

MHP leader Devlet Bahceli said the joint plan would be submitted to parliament later on Tuesday. Turkish MPs plan headscarf reform >>>

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